UVA Success Lessons: 22 Remarkable Ones I Learned in School

Are you a people watcher? I am but didn’t start out that way. Lots of practice over my 35+ years of management and leadership polished up those skills considerably. The payoff received? Many exceptional UVA success lessons learned from bosses, peers, and especially professors.
UVA success lessons
Success lessons learned.
Are you aware of the awesome habits impacts for success and positive thinking on your personal development? Success lessons that can be shared with the entire team.
We often use checklists to achieve our goal to refresh and reinforce success lessons critical to our ability to see opportunity in every difficulty.
Related: 10 Life Lessons You Need to Learn Early
I keep a stack of 10 or so checklists that I rotate and update occasionally. I pull out one checklist to read and contemplate for 5-10 minutes as a way to start each day. I find it puts my thinking in the right frame of mind.
Here is one checklist example of simple reminders to improve the odds of success in any task that I or my team may be doing. It was developed mainly from UVA success lessons I learned from the people around me:

 

UVA success lessons … demonstrate a positive attitude

Build and maintain a positive mental attitude. Do things to let it be seen and felt by others. It’s often easier to give in to cynicism, but those who choose to be positive set themselves up for success and have better reputations.
You will perhaps have heard this very old story illustrating the difference between positive and negative thinking:
Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential.
  
The first salesman reported back, “There is no potential here – nobody wears shoes.”
 
 The second salesman reported back, “There is massive potential here – nobody wears shoes.”
 
This simple short story provides one of the best examples of how a single situation may be viewed in two quite different ways – negatively or positively. And it is not difficult to see which one you want, eh?

 

maintain patience
You must maintain patience.

UVA success lessons … maintain patience

The proper timing of your words and acts will give you a big advantage over people who are impatient.
For example: Don’t click send on the email right away — breathe and reread it. The classic example would be getting irate and sending something with hostility.
Much of real happiness is a matter of being aware of what you’re doing while you’re doing it — and enraged people aren’t typically conscious of their actions.

https://digitalsparkmarketing.com/become-a-smarter-person/

 

UVA success lessons … keep an open mind

Those who close themselves off from certain ideas and associate only with like-minded people are missing out on not only personal growth but also opportunities for advancing their careers.
 

 

Smile often

The greatest asset a person can show is a ‘million-dollar smile’. This allows people to lower their guards during conversations with you.

 

 

Listen much more than you talk

The most likable people know that it’s not worth offending people by expressing everything they know, even if they are true. Pay close attention to someone speaking to you and show interest.
Using a conversation as an opportunity to lecture someone may feed the ego, but it never attracts people or makes friends.
Seek to understand the perspectives of those around you. Listen; really listen, to what all employees are saying to you. You will be amazed at what you can learn. And use what you learn to enhance the teamwork of your group.

 

Keep your cool

Maintain your composure in all circumstances. Overreaction to things either positive or negative can give people a poor impression. Always remember that silence may be much more effective than angry words.
 

UVA success lessons … show kindness with good deeds

The best true leaders help other people out without expecting anything in return. And if you want people to recognize your real worth, do lots for lots of people.

 

 

UVA success lessons … don’t fear failure

People admire those who grow from failure rather than wallow in it. Express your gratitude for having gained a measure of success.

 

 

Express interest in people

The most likable people use conversations as an opportunity to learn about another person and give them time to share a story.

 

 

Be genuine in praise

Praise the good traits of others without being excessive.

 

 

Show you care

show you care
Show you care.
Successful people don’t pretend to be likable; they are likable because they show care for others. Having confidants who can be completely honest with you allows continued growth.

 

 

Reflect at end of every day

Most of the time, heading out of the office is the time for rehearsing everything that went wrong that day. We recommend also reflecting on what went well. That way you’re not denying that some things went poorly, but you’re getting a richer picture of what happened.
 

 

 

UVA success lessons … laughter

Learn to find laughter wherever you can, even it is at your own expense. Tip for Success:  Laugh to the universe, and the universe will laugh back with you

 

 

Create trust

Empower your employees to act on your behalf, stand back and watch what happens. This is the most crucial way to enhance teamwork behaviors in staff … trusting them. They will never trust you without you first trusting them. It is the foundation of your employee team.

 

 

Be willing to openly share and be influenced

Seek out employee ideas and initiative. There should almost nothing you shouldn’t share with the employee team. The more they know, the better decisions they can make. And don’t be afraid to be influenced by their ideas.

 

 

UVA success lessons … live the moment 

Many employees are never tired when it comes to the party, play and so on ….. I tried to explain that they have to go to sleep early for work the next day… The next day? Tomorrow we will think about it. Tip for success: Concentrate on today, live the moment and have fun.

 

 

Never give up

Have you seen an employee learn really hard new things? How many times until he learns? Did he quit? It’s amazing how we give up so easily. Many people want to succeed but are afraid to take chances and make mistakes. Success tip: You need to take some risk to create something new in your life, and yes you probably going to miss sometimes.

 

 

UVA success lessons … learn from your success

This is the favorite lesson I loved to observe from employees.  Tip for success: After making mistakes several times, and you finally get it right, then just keep doing more of it to create a bigger success.

 

 

UVA success lessons … don’t be afraid to ask

This was a hard lesson for everyone, I included. We all like to be self-reliant. Never be afraid to ask, worst case you’ll hear a no, it just means not now. Ask again later.

 

 

Facilitate a learning environment

Openly share business information. Encourage questions and participation in discussion and discovery of business decisions.

 

 

Support an environment of change

Teach employees it is ok to fail and still take prudent risks as long as they learn. Encourage the exchange of new ideas among team members. Don’t fear occasional experimentation with these ideas.

 

 

Encourage collaborative relationships

Collaboration is the key to an effective employee team. Teach collaboration on all tasks with a mini team approach whenever you can.

 

 

 

Takeaways

 

Across industries, continuous learning is a process, not a destination. A great employee team is like an organic being, continually growing and changing to adapt to situations and challenges as they arise. Remember, teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.
 Remember to work on all the lessons … it is another great way to show people a positive mental attitude. Also be sure and walk the talk on these!
 
May you be so fortunate … to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Creative great customer experience design.
 
It’s up to you to keep improving your continuous learning performance.
 
 
Need some help in capturing more improvements for your staff’s leadership, teamwork, and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
 
 
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
 
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
 
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
 Do you have a lesson about making your learning better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
 
 Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
   
More reading on continuous learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
9 Things to Know About Creative Visual Design Content
8 Presenter Mistakes That Are Rarely Made Twice
Know These Great Secrets of Collaboration and Co-Creation
How Good Is Your Learning from Failure?
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

Why We Need New Leadership for These Turbulent Times?

Leadership and teamwork go hand in hand, don’t they? So to build a strong team you need new leadership for these turbulent times, don’t you think? Not doing so well, are we?
need new leadership
We need new leadership.
Future leaders certainly need to grasp this fact and understand the concepts of the best leadership lessons, qualities, and attributes didn’t they?
Coach Mike Krzyzewski said leaders should be reliable without being predictable. They should be consistent without being anticipated. Coach Krzyzewski certainly understood the leadership qualities of the best leadership, didn’t he?
Employ your best leadership.
Spot on. I have been in the military and business world for forty years, and I often get asked what leader qualities contribute to the best leadership.
Developing these qualities is a lifelong learning process. You are never done learning. Every great leader always looks for ways to improve on all of these qualities.
I have been in leadership positions in the military and business world for forty years, and I often get asked what the best lessons for future business leaders I have found. Surprisingly (or not) my list of lessons probably had varied to a degree, depending on when in my career it was constructed.
I have many leadership lessons learned in my years in the military (6 years) and business (35 years). Being a leader is a lifelong learning process. You are never done learning. Every great leader always looks for ways to improve the ability to improve their leadership qualities and attributes. These leadership qualities are a great source of learning.

Trust

Among all the attributes of the greatest leaders of our time, one stands above the rest: They are all highly trusted. You can have a compelling vision, a rock-solid strategy, excellent communication skills, innovative insight, and a skilled team, but if people don’t trust you, you will never get the results you want.
Leaders who inspire trust garner better output, morale, retention, innovation, loyalty, and revenue, while mistrust fosters skepticism, frustration, low productivity, lost sales, and turnover. Trust affects a leader’s impact and the organization’s bottom line more than any other single thing.

 

Truthfulness

listens first and acts second
Listens first and acts second.
Leadership that is not deeply rooted in a foundation of truth is leadership destined to fail. The reality is that the best leaders are also absolutists when it comes to the truth – they view truth as a non-negotiable.
However, in the wake of some of the recent, and highly publicized political scandals, it’s not too difficult to understand how some may question the existence of truth in business or government.
If you peel back the layers on most of the debacles that often transform themselves into highly sensationalized headlines, you’ll see that said problems often begin with rationalizations, justifications, posturing, and spin being substituted for the truth.
 

Courage

People will wait to see if a leader is courageous before they’re willing to follow his or her lead. People need courage in their leaders. They need someone who can make difficult decisions and watch over the good of the group.
They need a leader who will stay the course when things get tough. People are far more likely to show courage themselves when their leaders are.
For the courageous leader, adversity is a welcome test. Like a blacksmith’s molding of red-hot iron, adversity is a trial by fire that refines leaders and sharpens their game. Adversity emboldens courageous leaders and leaves them more committed to their strategic direction.

 

Exceptional leaders have contagious enthusiasm

What sets these leaders apart from mediocre leaders-every time, is a passion and enthusiasm for what they do. Their attitudes are positive, and their temperament is even-handed.
 A leader in your organization with enthusiasm and passion will be the benchmark for the rest of your team. Without them, your work will be hard, but with them, your team can see extraordinary results.
These leaders bring out the best in those they serve.

 

Humility

Great leaders are humble. They don’t allow their position of authority to make them feel that they are better than anyone else.
As such, they don’t hesitate to jump in and do the dirty work when needed, and they won’t ask their followers to do anything they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.

 

Accountability

Great leaders have their followers’ backs. They don’t try to shift blame, and they don’t avoid shame when they fail. They’re never afraid to say, “The buck stops here,” and they earn people’s trust by backing them up.

Listens firsts and acts second

Someone who jumps to conclusions without first seeking to understand has made a fatal error—for themselves and their team.
To lead people effectively, you have to take the time to listen and see things from their perspective. You have to put yourself in their shoes and fully understand the situation.

Speak appreciation

Maintain patience
Maintain patience.
Gratitude must be a constant drumbeat of your dialogue. Infuse your conversations with an appreciation of your team’s acumen and determination to improve.
Learn to be thankful certainly when there’s great success, but also be thankful for what you’ve learned through the hard times because there’s great wisdom in those experiences.
After you have been knocked down, gain your composure, reflect on why this occurred and make changes.

Keep an open mind

Those who close themselves off from certain ideas and associate only with like-minded people are missing out on not only personal growth but also opportunities for advancing their careers.

Maintain patience

The proper timing of your words and acts will give you a big advantage over people who are impatient.
Have a place for everything, and put everything in its place

 

Inspire and motivate

No matter how good you are, you will only be as successful as your team. So … getting the most from each team member is critical.
We call this being a multiplier leader. Multiplier leaders know the importance of bringing out the smarts and capabilities in everyone around them.

 

Foster teamwork

Peter Drucker made an interesting point when he said that leaders don’t train themselves not to say “I.” He’s implying that leaders innately work with others and let the team get the credit.
They don’t force themselves to say “we.” “We” is natural for them, and it’s the way they’ve always thought.
It can be negative for an organization to have an “employee of the month” or a “who gets credit for what” attitude. You work as a team when you don’t care who gets the credit.
So the next time you see someone with a resume that states, “I accomplished x” or “I did x,” it should send up a few warning signals.

 

Collaboration  

It’s important to know it is OK to ask for help, advice and constructive criticism. There are very few places where a lone wolf leader can be effective.
Decisions are complex, and it takes a village of smart people to help make them. Leaders who aren’t inclusive may find that their organizations lack creativity.

 

Be decisive 

While it’s helpful to get more than one opinion, strong leaders know when and how to make decisions.
Cabinet members could have argued forever, but Lincoln could know when he had all of the information he needed. Walking away to seek solitude, he was able to determine the best solution and make a decision without wavering.
Good leaders clarify their decision criteria, identifying musts and wants, and using that as a guide to compare options. Assess the risk of each option as well as the benefits, to help in making smart tradeoffs between alternatives.

 

Patience

Many leaders are intolerant of others who might do things differently, or at a pace the leader finds unacceptable. Action-oriented leaders may tend to jump to conclusions before things are thought through.
The lack of patience can manifest itself as anger or decisions that aren’t fully thought through. Be patient and reflective and always set aside thinking time. It is imperative for success.

Multiplier leadership

Multiplier leaders know that at the apex of the intelligence hierarchy is not the lone genius.
Instead, it is the leader who knows the importance of bringing out the smarts and capabilities in everyone around them.

Customer Favorite Posts on the Best Leadership You Shouldn’t Miss

 

People first

No matter what the job is, leaders always want to look for the best people and then take care of them. An organization is just a group of people working on various creations and inventions.
People are your organization. It is as simple as that. It’s all about the people. They are the lifeblood of the business.
When you’re leading an organization, you’re leading people. It makes sense that leaders need to take care of their people. Many leaders work to have relationships with their employees.
Taking them out for coffee and getting to know them better is common among leaders. Putting people first is an important element in being a leader.

Learn good listening habits

 To be a good leader you have to be a great listener. Brilliant ideas can spring from the most unlikely places, so you should always keep your ears open for some shrewd advice.
Richard Branson
You don’t gain insights by talking. Nope. Ideas can come from anywhere, so it’s important to keep your ears open to new ideas and insight.
Leaders need to be good listeners of everyone … customers to employees to business colleagues. They need to listen to what other people say and not just hear it. Branson even carries a notepad with him so he can take notes on what people say.
Listening also helps a leader get multiple perspectives. When making a decision, a good leader always listens to some different people.
They know they own the final decision but always make sure they get input from multiple different perspectives.

The bottom line

No doubt these leader qualities are ones I demand from future leaders
Digital Spark Marketing
Digital Spark Marketing’s Firestorm Blog
 Need some help in capturing more improvements in your staff’s leadership, teamwork, and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
 
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to innovating your social media strategy?
Do you have a lesson about making your advertising better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
  
More leadership material from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Build an Effective Team by Being a Talent Hound
Success Enablers of Highly Creative Leaders
Secrets to Becoming a Remarkably Mindful Leader
Leadership Characteristics That Improve Influence
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+FacebookTwitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.

Successful Leaders: 12 Habits Happy People Share

Are you aware of the impact of habits highly successful leaders share? You know, the ones for positive thinking and your personal development? But how to best build these habits and this positive attitude is another matter, isn’t it?

successful leaders
Habits highly successful leaders share.

People often lament that despite their best efforts, they just cannot seem to get, and stay, organized. Even though they’ve been working at it diligently and have tried many strategies, nothing seems to stick. So how do organized people stay organized?

People often say that “nothing succeeds like success,” and, to a certain extent, that’s true.  Successful companies get good press, find it easier to win new business as well as procure and retain top talent.

However, with success also comes growth and that brings its own set of challenges, especially for young companies. Often, it sends promising new stars into a tailspin from which they never recover.

There are lots out there to advise companies on how to be successful, but very little about how to manage the growth success brings.  I’ve spent most of my career building entrepreneurial companies, done several turnarounds after things went awry, and uncovered some common problems as well as some successful solutions.

Check out our thoughts on team leverage.

Over the years, I’ve noticed they have twelve habits in common. Here they are:

Listen much more than you talk

The most likable people know that it’s not worth offending people by expressing everything they know, even if they are true. You should pay close attention to someone speaking to you.

Keep an open mind

Those who close themselves off from certain ideas and associate only with like-minded people are missing out on not only personal growth but also opportunities for advancing their careers.

Ought to read:

Habits of the Rich and Successful People

 

Keep it simple

Elaborate organizational systems are hard to maintain and not worth the effort most of the time. It’s not necessary to color-code file folders by subject or activities on a calendar by a relative. The effort far outweighs the benefits.

Trying to keep your child’s toy reptiles separated from his toy mammals is also not worth your time. A bin for plastic toys will do. If the way you’ve organized something is too complicated and requires too many steps, it will be frustrating to maintain, which is the opposite of what you want.

exceptional leaders
Exceptional leaders.

Develop routines

Develop a morning or evening routine for tasks that happen daily or weekly. Maybe you open the mail every night after dinner or update your calendar and to-do list each morning before breakfast. If your mornings are hectic, make sure your work bag is packed before you go to bed.

Recycle yesterday’s newspaper each morning when you get a new one. Pay your bills every Saturday morning. Regular maintenance and short spurts of organizing will save you a lot of time later. Do your best to stick with your routine. But if you skip a day or two, that’s fine. Just try to resume as soon as you can.

Maintain patience

The proper timing of your words and acts will give you a big advantage over people who are impatient.

For example: Don’t click send on the email right away — breathe and reread it. The classic example would be getting irate and sending something with hostility.

Much of real happiness is a matter of being aware of what you’re doing while you’re doing it — and enraged people aren’t typically conscious of their actions.

Have a place for everything, and put everything in its place

This sounds easy and obvious, but it is neither. Establish a spot for a specific category of stuff, because it’s impossible to put things away if you don’t know where they belong. Make sure the spot is convenient, practical and has enough space to accommodate the items you want to put there.

If your dresser drawers are overflowing or there is no room to hang clothes in your closet, then your clothes don’t have a “place.” Likewise, if your filing cabinet is crammed and you can’t fit new papers inside, you’ll be less likely to file. Also, don’t set something down temporarily. Take a few extra seconds to put it where it belongs. Every time.

Keep a current and detailed to-do list

Even though it may seem as if organized people manage their lives with little effort, it takes a fair amount of planning. One of the secrets is keeping detailed to-do lists for daily tasks and longer-term projects. If you prefer to write things down, a small notebook works best because it keeps everything together and allows you to reference old tasks.

Avoid using loose sheets of paper that can be lost, and carry the notebook with you. If you use the tasks or notes features on your phone or computer, keep your lists current and consolidate them with your paper lists regularly. Give yourself deadlines if that helps you to complete items.

 

Habits highly successful leaders share … don’t fear failure

People admire those who grow from failure rather than wallow in it. Express your gratitude for having gained a measure of success.

Successful leaders … express interest in people

maintain patience
Maintain patience.

The most likable people use conversations as an opportunity to learn about another person and give them time to share a story.

Be genuine in praise

Praise the good traits of others without being excessive.

Don’t get bogged down by perfectionism

There is a common misperception that all organized people are perfectionists. Although this may ring true for some, many organized people realize they can’t possibly do everything perfectly and get everything done.

They prioritize tasks and learn where and how to take shortcuts and how to complete tasks quickly. They don’t get mired in projects that will be impossible to finish on time. In other words, they don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.

Toss things daily and purge routinely

Organized people don’t wait for a free weekend or an upcoming move to get their homes in order. They are constantly throwing things away, reevaluating their possessions and tidying their houses.

They may take five minutes each night to clear papers off the kitchen counter or 10 minutes while dinner is cooking to clean out the refrigerator. When they return home with groceries, they quickly scan items in their pantry to toss any expired or nearly empty containers and clean off their desks at night’s end. Organizing is not a separate event. It is a part of their day.

As you dig out of the chaos of the holidays and begin to think about how to be more organized and efficient in the future, try to make one or two of these strategies your standard practice. If you can do that, you’ll be on your way to an organized year.

Successful leaders in business … always keep their cool

Maintain your composure in all circumstances. Overreaction to things either positive or negative can give people a poor impression. Always remember that silence may be much more effective than angry words.

Does This Warren Buffett Advice Often Startle You?

Show you care

Successful people don’t pretend to be likable; they are likable because they show care for others. Having a confidant who can be completely honest with you allows continued growth.

Reflect at the end of every day

Most of the time, heading out of the office is the time for rehearsing everything that went wrong that day. We recommend also reflecting on what went well. That way you do not deny that some things went poorly, but you’re getting a richer picture of what happened.

The bottom line

Many of these are habits that we already know, of course. They are not rocket science and shouldn’t be.

This list of little things simply reminds us of what we have forgotten. Then it is up to us to put these lessons (or reminders) into daily use through persistence and practice.

Remember … your experience and learning trumps all!

Need some help in capturing more improvements for your staff’s leadership, teamwork and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
 
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy innovating your social media strategyg?
Do you have a lesson about making your advertising better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed how reasonable we will be.
  
More leadership material from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Build an Effective Team by Being a Talent Hound
Success Enablers of Highly Creative Leaders
Secrets to Becoming a Remarkably Mindful Leader
Leadership Characteristics That Improve Influence
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+FacebookTwitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.